We often hear the terms flash suppressor, muzzle brake, and compensator used interchangeably, as some people are actually unaware of their separate functions. We have even heard the question, “What is that funny thing on the end of my barrel?” Well, put your fears aside, it’s not an STD, it’s there to do an important job. Let’s take a look at each component and what it does, and then see some units that combine some of the uses of each one.

Flash Suppressors

The purpose of a flash suppressor, or flash hider, as referred to by some manufacturers, is to guard the shooter from a significant portion of the visible flash. In fact, another term for the device is flash guard, although you don’t hear that used very often. The military adopted flash suppressors in order to preserve soldiers’ night vision. A major misconception is that a flash suppressor will hide the flash from the target you are shooting. Yes, a flash suppressor will reduce the overall flash signature compared to a barrel without one, but light travels in a straight line, and anything completely blocking the flash from what you are aiming at will also block the path of the bullet. Today, there are two primary types of flash suppressors, the duckbill type, with a number of prongs, and the birdcage type that is similar, but has a ring around its end for stability and to prevent the flash suppressor from being “caught up” on surrounding objects.

Muzzle Brakes

A muzzle brake directs gasses to drive the firearm forward, helping counteract the recoil force back into the shooter. This is much like those reversers you see on jet aircraft when they are landing. Muzzle brakes are extremely important on larger-caliber guns; firing a .50 BMG without one could dislocate your shoulder. An unfortunate side effect of a traditional muzzle brake is that because energy is being directed back at the shooter, the sound levels and concussion forces generated during firing increase dramatically.

Compensators

A compensator vents some of the escaping gasses upward, reducing the rise in the barrel as the weapon is fired. This allows the shooter to more easily and quickly reacquire his target for faster follow-up shots. The majority of compensators available today also feature muzzle brake-style side ports for a combination of reduced recoil and muzzle rise.

Hybrids

There are muzzle devices that offer a combined reduction in flash signature, recoil, and muzzle rise; we call them hybrids. For this category of muzzle devices, we are identifying those that are truly designed to achieve a synthesis between the essential elements of the three separate components. A standard A2 flash suppressor, while having vents excluded from the bottom, does offer some of the qualities of a compensator, its primary job is to act as a suppressor, so we don’t include it as a hybrid device. The same goes for the BattleComp 1.0 compensator, which will reduce flash, but is primarily designed to be a compensator.

If you are trading out a factory-installed muzzle device for an aftermarket one, be sure that the modification does not make your new configuration shorter than the legal, overall length (OAL) requirements of your firearm. Some rifles rely on a rather long muzzle device to reach OAL requirements. Generally, if your muzzle device is pinned onto the barrel, it may have been to allow the manufacturer to legally sell the firearm in your jurisdiction.

For the rest of this article, subscribe digitally here: RECOIL Issue 2

On the AR I just got it had a VLTOR flash suppressor on it and it's of the birdcage type with opening all the way around. he stock Colt flash suppressor only has opening on the sides and top but not at the bottom.

I'd like to know how these 2 different flash suppersors would affect the gun?

That issue has been on newstands for a couple weeks or so. I would scan and post, but I don't think they would appreciate that. The biggest part of that article was a line-up of a bunch of devices with a picture and basic info for each. Other than what is posted in the OP, pictures and basic info is all there is to the article. Not a bad reference to see different devices and how they are categorized.

Ok I'm lost on this....I downloaded this magazine on my iPad and they showed pics on various company's muzzle products but that was it...not comments or review of anything! Pretty much a big rip off...I learned nothing about what these devises do for the gun.

Ok I'm lost on this....I downloaded this magazine on my iPad and they showed pics on various company's muzzle products but that was it...not comments or review of anything! Pretty much a big rip off...I learned nothing about what these devises do for the gun.

I'm kinda curious as to how you can measure recoil and reduction objectively.

I saw a guy a while back put his rifle on a wheel rifle rest and attached a pencil to the "cart" and put it on graph paper. But due to the added mass of the cart and the friction of the bearings and wheels of the cart, I think his numbers can't be too exact. I was thinking if you string up the rifle and video tape it against a graphed background yeild better results. But I'd venture that a device that can accurately monitor pressure over time would yeild the most empirical/unbiased data.

On the AR I just got it had a VLTOR flash suppressor on it and it's of the birdcage type with opening all the way around. he stock Colt flash suppressor only has opening on the sides and top but not at the bottom.

I'd like to know how these 2 different flash suppersors would affect the gun?

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Shoot prone on bare dirt or sand and you will find out what kind of effect it has

I'm kinda curious as to how you can measure recoil and reduction objectively.

I saw a guy a while back put his rifle on a wheel rifle rest and attached a pencil to the "cart" and put it on graph paper. But due to the added mass of the cart and the friction of the bearings and wheels of the cart, I think his numbers can't be too exact. I was thinking if you string up the rifle and video tape it against a graphed background yeild better results. But I'd venture that a device that can accurately monitor pressure over time would yeild the most empirical/unbiased data.

Click to expand...

I would think you would really need a couple scales one on the butt pad up against something solid and one near the end of the muzzle on top of the hand guard and up against something solid and see how many lbs of recoil and how many lbs of pressure on the muzzle rise

This has nothing to do with my Apple iPad...the magazines article...actually there is not article, not comparison or testing or review of these muzzle devices...just pictures of various brands and specs and msrp prices....magazine cover lead me to believe there was some explaining and review...TOTAL RIP OFF MAGAZINE...Recoil Magazine....never heard of it or seen it on a newsstand.

This has nothing to do with my Apple iPad...the magazines article...actually there is not article, not comparison or testing or review of these muzzle devices...just pictures of various brands and specs and msrp prices....magazine cover lead me to believe there was some explaining and review...TOTAL RIP OFF MAGAZINE...Recoil Magazine....never heard of it or seen it on a newsstand.

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Ya, I agree with ya...seems kind of a rip off. I think that he was just poking fun at you fer having an iPad.

I would think you would really need a couple scales one on the butt pad up against something solid and one near the end of the muzzle on top of the hand guard and up against something solid and see how many lbs of recoil and how many lbs of pressure on the muzzle rise

Click to expand...

I guess that would work if you had a scale that could save and record rates that would work, like how some trigger scales work, but I don't know of any that do....do you?

I'm sure there's something out there that would work. Maybe even record pressure and time. That'd be useful. Could also quantify differences between different weight buffers and carbine and rifle systems.